Page 62 of Oaths & Vengeance
He snaked an arm around my waist and pulled me close. Anger poured through me at his audacity and the reminder of everything we’d discussed while he’d had me pinned naked against a tree. I still wondered how he had gotten into the heart of Therress so easily, even on solstice. There were no reports of attacks or deaths. I knew since I’d listened closely for any related news, but everyone said it was quiet on the border that night.
“You mean you enjoyed seeing me nude in another man’s arms?” I asked tauntingly. Two could play at this game.
He tensed. “At least he was one of my people, and he won’t be touching you again since he takes his orders very seriously.”
I gritted my teeth, unable to help myself by taunting him. “Then I’ll find someone else in a place you can’t reach.”
“There is nowhere I won’t follow when it comes to you, and like I told you last night, I’ll kill any man who touches you. Do you want to be responsible for that?” Darrow asked mockingly.
I hated that I didn’t truly want anyone else. “That wasn’t part of our deal.”
“If you have needs,” he said, moving his hand inside my cloak to rub a thumb just under my left breast, teasing so close to where he’d touched me last time. “I’ll be happy to take care of that. Say the word.”
I wanted to leap off the horse so badly. First, he ended things between me and Camden, and then he ruined my birthday by forcing me to help his army attack my land. While I usually couldn’t resist his touch, I forced myself to remember what we were doing tonight. I would not fall for his seductive words and caresses this time. He was forcing me to betray my people.
“You are literally the last elf I want to have sex with now or ever.”
His tracing fingers paused. “I’ll let that go under the circumstances, but I promise I’ll prove those words wrong soon enough.”
“We’ll see,” I vowed.
“Time to open the portal to Petosty, Aella,” Darrow ordered, handing me a hefty bag of holmium powder—far more than I needed. I could have sworn there was relish in his voice when he gave me the command.
Pinching some between my fingers, I tried to hide the tears that pricked my eyes at what I was about to do—the betrayal I was committing against my people. It wasn’t fair, but I’d agreed to this. Like it or not, I had to do it. So I chanted the damning words and pulled at my wind and light power, opening the gate in seconds since it was one of mine with no wards to slow me down and the closest one to my current location. Only the mountain range and a stretch of forest stood between.
A smallpopbroke the air, and the soft blue glow of the portal filled the ring. Darrow began shouting orders as I held it open for his troops. Even as I channeled, I started counting them. He hadn’t held back from this attack.
Their line was far longer than I’d been able to make out in the dark woods, but by the time the end of them came near, I counted over two hundred. I hadn’t seen the other group, but Faina said half had already crossed into the mountains. That was a hefty force for a village of eight hundred. I didn’t think we had more than twenty soldiers there since it hadn’t been attacked in at least a century.
Darrow continued to hold me closely as he guided his horse through the portal. Once on the other side, he handed me off to his friend, Loden, who would stay with me during the attack. My callous husband led the rest of his troops through the forest away from us.
Once they took care of the tower guards at the foot of the mountain pass, the village would be next, and there would be no one to send a warning to my uncle or his military commanders. They’d have free reign to do what they wanted. I wouldn’t be able to see any of it or know if Darrow kept his promise not to kill civilians until reports came tomorrow. Whatever happened, though, it would still be my fault.
There was a tree stump with a broad base about twenty feet from the ring. I moved over and sat on it, sinking my face into my hands as I began to cry. This whole marriage plan had seemed tolerable before, but now, I was second-guessing myself. I should have negotiated harder against opening portals to my land.
Loden dropped a hand on my shoulder. “You shouldn’t feel guilt over this.”
“Easy for you to say,” I mumbled without looking up.
“At least you’re honorable enough to keep your end of the deal.” He pulled his hand away. “Half of us thought you wouldn’t show up, and Darrow would have to lead the attack without your help. Of course, that would have led to many more deaths as punishment to you.”
“How do I know he won’t kill everyone regardless?” I asked, finally looking up at him with a tear-streaked face.
Loden looked at me sympathetically. “Because he’s trying to earn your trust, and that would be a bad way to go about it when you just extended yours.”
I wiped my hand at my face, trying to dry it. “Why would he care if I trust him?”
“Because what we’re doing tonight is not why he wanted your portal abilities.”
That was hard to believe. “Then why else would he want them?”
“Keep earning his trust, and you’ll find out,” Loden said, walking away to settle onto his own spot.
Several hours later, Darrow and his half of the soldiers returned. I refused to look at him and simply opened the portal once they reached the ring. He stopped his horse beside me, watching his people disappear inside the blue glow.
Now and then, I felt his gaze, but I stood firm and kept mine on the blue glow. He could fall off a mountain for all I cared. As the end of his troops neared, I noted the last ones performing a spell that restored the ground to how it looked before our arrival. There would be no way for my uncle to know they’d come from this direction.
“See you again soon, dear wife,” he said with one last look before disappearing with all the others—arrogant ass.
